Install Windows 7 or Windows Vista on a Pc Without DVD Media

Tips & Tweaks

For user who doesnít want to waste a DVD disc to burn the ISO to physical media, and does not have WinPE (Windows PE) startup disc, hereís a workaround method to install Windows Vista and Windows 7 into physical computerís hard disk drive or partition (volume) directly with ISO without writing or burning to disc. The without-disc installation method is useful especially during beta and RC period of new operating system in the making, where the new build and new version
is launching and publishing every now and then. This tutorial guide assumes that the new Windows 7 or Windows Vista will be installed and replaced the original existing operating system currently installed. The instructions can be modified slightly (mainly on hard disk partition used) to fit into need of readers who want to have a dual-boot, multi-boot, or simply just to upgrade install to new OS.

1. Install a virtual CD/DVD drive on existing Windows operating system.
2. Mount the Windows Vista or Windows 7 installation DVD ISO image using the virtual drive.
3. Copy all files inside the virtual CD/DVD drive mounted with the ISO into any folder on any partition or hard disk drive not going to be used to install the Windows OS. For example, copy into E:\Windows7.
4. Copy the bootmgr and boot folders nested inside the copied folder (i.e. \Windows7) to root directory of system boot drive, typically C:\.

Note: For Windows Vista, users may need to use this step: Copy the bootmgr folder from E:\Windows7 to C:\ root directory, copy E:\Windows7\boot\boot.sdi file to same folder in C:\boot folder, and then copy bootsect.exe from the E:\Windows7\boot\ folder to C:\ drive.

Note: boot folder in system boot drive is hidden system folder.
5. Create a new folder named sources under the C:\ root folder.
6. Copy the boot.win file inside \Windows7\sources folder to the source folder created in the system boot drive, normally C:\.
7. Open a command prompt as administrator.
8. Run the following command (change the C to your drive path letter if applicable):

C:\boot\bootsect.exe /nt60 C:

For Windows Vista users who copied bootsect.exe to C:\ root folder, use the following command instead:

C:\bootsect.exe /nt60 C:

A successful message is the command completes successfully.
9. Change the name or label of the boot system partition local disk to BDCP or any name you prefer that easier to remember and type (in DOS command promot, use label command).
10. Restart the computer.
11. After booting up, the system will start the corresponding Windows installation process. Select the applicable language to install, time and currency format (regional settings locale) and keyboard or input method in the installation wizard dialog.
12. On the next screen, user will be presented with option to Install Windows. DO NOT press on Install Windows button, instead, click on Repair My Computer link on the bottom left corner.
13. In the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) System Recovery Options dialog window, click on Command Prompt to open a DOS Prompt window.
14. Run the format command to format the primary hard disk or partition to clean state:

format c: /q

Note: /q switch, which perform quick format can be omitted to full format. And if existing hard disk partition is of FAT32 filesystem format, use format c: /q /fs:ntfs to convert the file system to NTFS while formatting. Before formatting begins, the command may prompt for hard disk drive or partition label name, if so, enter accordingly (i.e. BDCP).
15. After format completed, start the Windows Vista or Windows 7 installation process again by manually running the setup.exe located in the copied. Note that the setup.exe is not the one located on boot system drive which copied at later step, as the boot drive has been formatted. For example:

E:\Windows7\sources\setup.exe
16. Continue with installation procedures by following on-screen instructions as per normal practice.

You are AWESOM! Thank you so much for posting this, you are a GENIUS. Searched for hours to find some way to do this install without making a disk and finaly came across your article. Only thing I'll add is if someone needs a 64 bit boot system you can download the Windows Vista system recovery disk and use that to type in the C:\boot\bootsect.exe /nt60 C:
command if you are currently using a 32 bit system like I was. Best of luck and hope everyone else who needs this article is able to find it. Woot you ROCK super soaker.

Great post man. You are too much. I have been struggling with this problem for about two weeks now but stumbling at your post by chance has made all the difference. I have now formatted my Vista PC and installed XP just by following your instructions in this post. It really worked and I'm happy now.

Thank you so much for this invaluable post. I appreciate it so much. I have also joined the forum.

Can you please specify in details what is the problem that you are facing? Are you asking that you want to install Windows XP on a Pc Without DVD Media? You can try to use the same method given by super soaker to install Windows XP on a Pc Without DVD Media instead of Windows 7 or Windows Vista or read some suggestions given in similar topics here - Re-installing Windows XP Without Original OS Disk

i tried to install windows 7 pro into my netbook which has windows 7 starter.
in doing the 4th step, i was asked whether to "copy and replace" the existing boot folders or "copy, but keep both of them". which one should i go? hope someone can help me.

i tried to install windows 7 pro into my netbook which has windows 7 starter.
in doing the 4th step, i was asked whether to "copy and replace" the existing boot folders or "copy, but keep both of them". which one should i go? hope someone can help me.

Are you completely removing the Windows 7 Starter from your Netbook, because if you are then you will have to choose "copy and replace" options while upgrading to windows 7 pro. Normally, the "copy, but keep both of them" option is required when you are keeping the windows 7 starter and installing another windows 7 pro OS on different partition. In any case, there isnt any problems choosing both the options, that you may try.

Hi,
i want to make a multi boot DVD of Win7 instalation and norton ghost 15
before this i have made multi boot DVD of Winxp, w2k3, Dos and ghost 11 with magicISO i mean i have clear some concepts
please help to go further.
and sorry for my poor English.

Hi,
i want to make a multi boot DVD of Win7 instalation and norton ghost 15
before this i have made multi boot DVD of Winxp, w2k3, Dos and ghost 11 with magicISO i mean i have clear some concepts
please help to go further.
and sorry for my poor English.

I found a topic on adding Norton Ghost 14 or Symantec Backup Exec 8.5.3 n dual boot with windows But it will increase the size of your disk with a couple of hundred Mb's.It also depends on dotnet 2. For that reason you may want to just hotplug it to a running PE, instead of rebuilding your bootdisk. Some call this LODR (Load On Demand Ready). Hotplugging dotnet 2 to a running PE is also possible. Check here for more information.

THANK YOU!! I needed to make a bootable win7 partition that I could use to install windows on the (main) partition of the same drive...
1. Disk Management w/ current computer

Created a 3gig partition and one for the remaining space

2. Copied extracted files to 3gig partition and other files (that were for C:/ ) into the large partition.

**Make sure the Large Partition is set as the active! I ended up using an old win98 cd to go in and edit the active w/ fdisk... I'm lazy and didn't want to move the hd back to my computer
Also, both partitions can be ntfs... I wasn't 100% sure at first >.<

3. Since I formatted when I made the partitions, I just went into the command prompt w/ windows 7 repair on the new computer and ran the setup file. I think my drive letters are a bit funky, but I'll fix that later.

Thanks so much! It just got done installing, and now it's up and running!

whenever i give the C:bootbootsect.exe /nt60 C: it gives me an error msg saying its not a win32 application please help

Have you tried to enable Legacy USB devices or storage ( it will say something similar ) in the BIOS? You will probabaly need to remove the USB Drive when you see Windows 7 reboot during the install - otherwise it will try to boot from the USB drive again. You may need to go back into Bios and reset it to boot from HD if nothing happens at that stage - then restart.

Supersoaker:
How can I tweak this method to create a Vista Installation on a USB or Hard Drive from a working computer that I can then use to install Vista on a computer with a million windows issues?
Thanks!
CGM